Each one of us also has pet related hobbies and interests and of course, our own personal pets.  My pet family currently consists of Bridgette, my American Cocker Spaniel, who is my teaching assistant for group classes.  We also enjoy performing demonstrations/work shops at festivals on search games.  She has been taught to find my cell phone as well as 20 different types of mold.  Scent work is my favorite type of training although I also enjoy Agility.

My husbands dog, Jonni 5, is Bridgette’s daughter.  She is Cocker, Rotti, Shepard, Sheltie mix who looks like a small Rotti.   My son, Alex who also works for ACE, dog is a Border Collie who was rescued out of a back yard from a divorce case.  Poor thing was left in the yard with flies eating his ears.  He’s much better now, Alex used him as a 4-H dog for several years.  My daughter, Autumn, also works at ACE.  She has two dogs, a Corgi name Kyla and little mix  named Cowboy.  Autumn fostered Cowboy who has serious behavior issues due to insecurity, she fell in love with him and adopted him.

I have another personal dog, Maleha, a Great Pyrenees, who lives with my goats and poultry to protect them from the coyotes and bobcat who roam the neighborhood.  She is a happy, loving 80lb 7 month puppy who bounces around like a child.  Amazing how she can get that big body to move about.  So far so good on the plan, my pens are set up so she can patrol around them and I haven’t had any loss due to wild animals since she came aboard my team.

I have two cats, Romy and Mony, who are wonderful mousers, molers etc.  Romy is a black DSH and Mony is a grey DSH.

I have a a pair of Heritage turkeys, Ricky and Lucy (named as such because they are a comical pair).  Lucy is currently setting on a nest of 20 or so eggs.  I’m very happy about that and this time she is setting in a safe place.  She likes to escape to the woods to lay and set which is very dangerous for her.  I gathered her eggs, placed them in a nest in the safe zone and was ecstatic when she began laying in the nest.  She started setting about a week ago, so 3 weeks we should have some baby turkeys.  When I get home today, I’m going to place some chicken eggs in her nest and see if she will hatch them too.  Watching the turkeys is very entertaining and has helped me understand the true definition of  “taking a flying leap”.

I have two Rhode Island Red chicks and seven Cornish Crosses.  The reds are great egg producers.  I’m hoping a couple of the Cornish have some instinct left so hatch some chick eggs too.  Three Khaki Cambell and two Cayuga ducks live in my garden area to keep it slug free. So far this is working very well, except if the ducks can reach a plant over the edge, they will eat them.  So far I have discovered they like chives, parsley and sunflowers. I’m hoping they don’t get skilled enough to get in my raised garden beds or I may have to net them off.  I’m trying to create a permaculture, but it is very challenging to find that balance. I’m still learning.

We also own three Pygmy/Cashmere cross goats.  We originally got them as companions for another goats and to eat the underbrush.  Their true skill is escaping and eating everything you don’t want eaten. They can anialate a garden in minutes, unfortunately I know from experience. They are great companions to my Pyrenees, very friendly and fun to watch.  I’m more entertained by watching my pets interact than watching a TV show.

I  joined Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue (SCVSAR) last October.  My goal is to get a dog to train for this purpose in about 1 year.  I have been working on my personal training in the meantime.  Currently I am participating in a rigging course which has really pushed me outside my comfort zone.  I spent the week end learning how to be lower down a cliff and Prusik back up the rope and how to be hauled up the cliff with a subject.  It was very scary, yet exciting!  I don’t know that the side of a mountain is my place to be in a rescue operation but I can definitely be a valuable team player in operating the overall system.  I really enjoy learning new things!  It’s amazing what you can do with some rope and knot tying skills.

A dog’s territory is probably be the same legal boundaries that are registered at the local courthouse. They may consider the neighbors yard their duty to guard, maybe even from the neighbors themselves. If they are allowed to mark during their routine walk they may expect that anything encompassing that area is theirs to be guarded. Attending a dog park often may give your dog the idea that the park now belongs to him/her. Your dog’s perceived territory may be a small as your car, house or back yard, or maybe just its crate or kennel.

Continued next week.

A Dogs Eyes Can Send The Message

By continually studying dog interactions I have come to understand many of the rules in the canine pack. They do have an intricate social structure. Some canine communication is as effortless as eye contact, yet it can make a very important statement, possibly important enough to fight over. Some communications are very obvious, like teeth bearing. Often dog interactions appear to be harmless play, but are actually behaviors designed to work out the pecking order between two dogs within the pack.

To be able to fix the problem you must first determine which type of aggression your dog is showing. Often dogs will fit into more than one type of aggressive behavior.

Your dog may appear to be a pleasant friendly dog and still bite a person or fight with another dog or attack the neighbors’ cat. Dogs cannot simply be labeled mean or not mean as most people want to believe. I assure you that it is not only commonly known aggressive breeds such as Pit Bulls or Rottweilers that bite. There is no breed exempt from having some form of aggression. Many well-behaved family pets have had a growling, snapping or biting incident. The challenging problem is to determine what caused it and how to prevent it from happening again.

People need to first determine which breed is most suitable for their living conditions: I recommend the book “Choosing a Dog” which was written from a trainers perspective, not with the bias of a breeder. We also offer ourselves at A Canine Experience Inc. as a resource for this purpose. Once you know what your looking for, finding a quality breeder can be difficult to determine. Flashy websites may be appealing, but what is happening behind the scene is harder to recognize, so here are some tips:

• Quality breeders qualify buyers- they do not sell puppies to pet stores! Breeders know the only qualification necessary to purchase a puppy from a pet store is the almighty dollar.
• Quality breeders like to track the progress of the puppies they sell, not only their behavior but their health and structure.
• Quality breeders intentions are to improve the breed to create the most healthy, sound and well tempered dog they can produce.
• Quality breeders will have a contract and most often will want you to notify them first if you need to re-home your puppy for any reason or if they are having health or behavior problems.
• Quality breeders care about their reputation as a breeder and do their best help the new owners with their new purchase.
• Quality breeders will do puppy temperament testing and attempt to place you with the best match for your environment.
• Quality breeders will educate you on what to expect out of the breed and their specific bloodlines.
• Quality breeders will find out about your home life so they can match you with the best puppy for you.
• Quality breeders don’t ship puppies to people they don’t know unless they are working through some one they do know and trust.
• When choosing a puppy, you should be able to meet one or both parents, if not, be leery.
• Evaluate the temperament of the parents- if they show signs of aggression, these traits can be inherent and are likely to show up in some of the puppies.
• Quality breeders will have health records- ask for testing done on the eyes and hips of the parents and other health records.
• Quality breeder will not place puppies into their new homes until 7-9 weeks of age, 8-9 being better. Placing them at a younger age can cause social developmental problems.
• Ask about how the puppies are raised- how often they are handled, have they started taking them outside to potty, are they living in the house, a kennel, a cage, have they done temperament testing, are they living in a clean environment or being forced to live in their own filth, do they get individual time, have they been around people other than the breeder, have they been around children? Training can begin at a very young age.
• Find out how many dogs they are breeding and how often. Do they have multiple litters to choose from? Do they have multiple breeds available? Most quality breeders specialize in one or two breeds and only breed once or twice a year. They don’t breed their bitches more than once per year and take them in for regular checkups.
• Quality breeders rarely make money because it goes back into the care of their dogs.
• I would never recommend purchasing a puppy from a pet store!

LEADERS: 

 Eat First
Initiate and Control Interactions
Maintain a Dominant Posture
Go First/ Lead
Control Their Space and Possessions
Protect Their Pack
Are Calm, Fair and Confident
Sleep in a Higher Place
Don’t Chase
Discipline Their Pack Fairly
Use Their Mouth and Feet to Control Subordinates

One great way to let your dog know you are taking control and being the leader is by teaching them to wait at the door.  See “Teaching Your Dog to Wait at the Door” for suggestions on how and why to teach the wait.

Many behavior problem stem from the lack of 

physical and mental exercise!

Dogs are working animals. They need a job to do and will be much better behaved if they have something to make them feel like they are earning their keep.

Every breed has its own skills. Make the best of the genetic drive that your dog is born with.

• Mental exercise is just as important as physical exercise.

• Dogs should have a good run as least once a day to maintain good physical and mental health.

• A mile walk is good, but usually not nearly enough.

• Destructive and bratty behavior often occurs because of pent up energy.

• Many people believe that if their dog has a big back yard it will get enough exercise. This is not usually the case.

• Your dog will tire faster with mental stimulation than with physical exercise.

• All dogs can learn.

Start with some of these ideas today:

• Obedience commands

• Search games

• Scent work

• Tricks

• Herding

• Weight pulling

• Use a backpack to carry things

• Agility

• Flyball

• Retrieving

A Canine Experience Inc.

17125 SR9 SE

Snohomish, WA 98296

www.acanine.com
360-668-0350

It’s an issue of respect.  Pushing by you and charging out the door is disrespectful to you as the leader. When charging out the door, they are reacting, not thinking.  Making them wait will help you gain control and engage their brain. There is also the issue of safety.  Many dogs have been hit by cars after bolting out the door into a road.  It is your job as the leader to protect your dog.

How to teach the wait at the door:

1. Clip Bobo’s 6-foot lead onto his regular collar. Bring him to the closed front door and have him sit for you in a position that will not block the opening of the door. If he sits, give him a treat and praise him. Then tell him to wait.

2. Next, open the front door a few inches while praising Bobo for a ‘good wait’. If he tries to squeeze through, tell him no and close the door and walk him away. Then bring him back to the door and repeat the process. Your goal at this point is to be able to open the door a few inches without Bobo trying to squeeze through. Be patient; you may have to repeat this step five or six times before he gets it.

3. Once you can open the door a few inches without Bobo charging through, you can begin opening it more or more each time. Every moment that Bobo does not try to get out the door is a victory for you. Just make sure to praise him for a good wait while he is doing so. Your goal is to be able to have the front door completely open without Bobo trying to sneak out. If he tries to, tell him no, then quickly close the door, walk him away, and begin the process again. Get him to understand that every time he tries to go out on his own he gets the door shut; each time he waits, he gets praised.

4. Once you are able to get Bobo to wait at a wide-open door, it is time to step through yourself. If at any time he tries to go along with you, tell him “no,wait”. Have him continue to wait for 10 seconds. If Bobo succeeds in charging by you, say “no”, then take him back inside and repeat the step. Once you have successfully taught him to wait while you are outside, tell Bobo ‘okay’ and call him through the door. Once outside, have him sit, and reward him with a treat. Then, have him perform the wait , going back into the home. If at any time he tries to bolt in, tell him “no”, shut the door, and walk him away. Your goal is to get Bobo to wait at the door, going in or out, until you give the “okay” command. Practice this each time you take Bobo out.

5. Work the wait command at every entrance and exit to the home or car. After 6 to 8 weeks, you will find that the leash may no longer be necessary. The wait will eventually become automatic to Bobo. You needn’t practice only at doorways, try teaching Bobo to wait at a curbside.
(The above steps 1-5 are quoted from the “Leader of the Pack” book written by Nancy Baer and Steve Duno)

Scent Pans: You can teach scent work to dogs to find items like their toys. You can also teach scent work for something very practical, such as finding your keys or a lost phone. A typical scent pan has a small hole in the top, we made some of ours out of plastic dog dishes and drilled holes in the bottom – flip it upside down and it’s ready to go!

When training, make sure to do each step fully and not progress to the next until your dog has mastered it. You always want to end successful. Always reward your dog. If your dog has a favorite toy, you can use that as a reward instead of treats.

1. Start with three pans and show the dog that you are putting the treat in the pan. Try to get your dog to follow your hand with the treat to the bowl. Encourage them to smell the hole in the pan you’ve placed the treat under. Once your dog stiffs the pan with the treat, quickly lift the pan up and let them have the treat. If your dog is struggling with this, you can put the treat in the bowl right side up to begin. Get your dog to realize there are treats in the bowl, have them take it out. Then try flipping the bowl over again and putting the treat in it. Use a verbal command such as “find it” to let your dog know we are starting the game. When your dog is finding the treat without your help move on to the next step.

2. Once your dog has the idea to sniff the hole in the pan you’ve put the treat into, fake which pan your putting the treat into. I use the term “find it” to start the game and use the command “check here” to have them check a bowl. Have them sniff each pan until they find the one with the treat. Quickly remove the pan and let them have the treat. Once you’ve mastered this step move on to the next step.

3. Don’t let the dog see you put treat in pan. It’s best if you have someone who can help you by walking your dog away while you hide the treat and then bring them back to you when your done. After your dog is able to start identifying which pan has the treat, try to get your dog to signal that they have found the treat by either pawing the pan, sitting beside the pan or lying down. You can give them a command to what you want. For example, If you want your dog to indicate they found the item by lying down, when they show interest in the correct pan, tell them “down” and when they down lift the pan and let them take the treat. From now on, they have to do the designated indicator to earn the reward. Choose only one indicator and stick with it. Once they get the idea to search all three pans you can move to the next step.

4. If they can search three pans, they can search multiple pans. Start adding more pans to the game. Make a long line of pans spread out and have them search the line. Continue having them use their indicator before giving them their reward.

5. Add the item you want them to find under the pan with the treat. If you want to teach them to find your keys, put the keys and the treat under the pan and continue practicing. Do this a few times, it won’t make much difference to your dog, because the treat is still there.

6. Remove the treat and hide only the item you want to teach your dog to find under a pan. They may need a little help at this point, because up to now they’ve had the food smell to motivate them. You may have to tap the pan, get them to smell it, ask them to indicate and then give them their reward to help them understand the change in the game. Sometimes I will rub the treat smell on the item just for the first session to help give them the idea to search for the item. Don’t continue doing this or they won’t figure out what you really want them to find. When they find the item pickup the pan to show them they found it and reward them with a treat from your hand. Once they understand to find the item to get there reward move on.

7. Start making the game more difficult by adding pans, moving them into a circle instead of a line, start pushing them further apart and putting them in areas like the corner, under a chair, behind a piece of furniture etc.

8. Start placing the pans on a variety of surfaces; on the chair, in an open cupboard, on a shelf, on a short table. We are teaching them to search above the level of the floor. Once they are finding the item consistently at multiple levels and indicating move to the next step.

9. Take the pans away and hide the item with a treat in a fairly simple place. This is a confusing step for your dog, because the pans, which have been a visible aid that you’re working, are gone. They again may need a little assistance. Use your command “find it” to let them know your working and the command “check here” to get them looking in different places. Only use the treat with the item a few times to get them to understand the change in the game.

10. Hide only the item in a fairly simple place, reward them with the treat.

11. Slowly increase difficulty of the hiding spot using the item only and rewarding them with the treat.

12. Have someone else hide the item with out you knowing where it is. This is the true challenge to determine if your dog really understands the game.

A few notes about search games:

Your dog always gets rewarded for its work!

The search should always be successful, meaning there is always something to find and it gets found, even if you have to give a little extra help (if this happens continuously back up a step or two). So, if you loose your keys and decide your going to use your dog to find them, make sure you have a spare set you can plant in case they can’t find the keys your looking for. Nothing is more discouraging than not successfully completing the job and they will loose faith that there is something to be found.

Your dog always get rewarded for their work!

Be careful not to tell your dog where items are with your body language. In a couple steps I have you helping them, but once they get it watch your body language. Let your dog stop you, don’t look at the item, don’t change your pace as you approach the item. You must act the same during the exercise. If you want them to look in a certain area tell them to “check here” but stand back and let them look. Make sure to have them check places that the item is not hidden in too, so the command doesn’t become a give away.

Your dog always gets rewarded for its work!

If your dog is toy motivated and you would like to use a toy as a reward, replace the treats with the toy. When the item is found play with your dog with the toy as the reward. This will only work with very toy driven dogs. Common toys used are balls, ropes and squeaky toys.

Good luck! Feel free to call Trina or Nancy if you have questions about teaching your dog to search.

A Canine Experience Inc. (360)668-0350